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A look at the new head coaches ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season

The Lakers, Jazz, Kings and Hornets all have new leadership on the sidelines.

Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers
Head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers walks to the court for a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at T-Mobile Arena on October 06, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 114-99.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

As is the case with every NBA offseason, there are a handful of coaching changes as franchises try to gain the edge on the sidelines. Some of these changes are a result of poor results, while others are more reflective of an overall shift in direction for the team. Here’s a look at the new coaches for the 2022-23 season.

Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers

Wins over/under: 45.5
Title odds: +1800

The Lakers have tasked Ham, who was a Bucks assistant, with maximizing the final years of LeBron James’ career. The first step will be getting back to the playoffs after last season’s debacle. The next will be finding a way to get James and Anthony Davis to elevate the players around them to the point where this team can compete for a championship.

Will Hardy, Utah Jazz

Wins over/under: 24.5
Title odds: +100000

When Hardy first got this job, he expected the Jazz to retain their core and take another shot at the title. Instead, Utah has begun a full rebuild. Hardy had to know this was a possibility and this will allow him to grow with the new group. It’s tough to build good habits with young players trying to develop their own games, so we’ll see if things go south here early on.

Steve Clifford, Charlotte Hornets

Wins over/under: 33.5
Title odds: +18000

Clifford technically wasn’t the first choice for this gig. The Hornets hired Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson but he decided to go back to Golden State. Clifford has been the head coach here previously and did a decent job. He has an exciting point guard in LaMelo Ball to lean on, although Ball is out to begin the season with an ankle sprain. The playoffs are the goal for Charlotte, so Clifford has his work cut out for him.

Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings

Wins over/under: 33.5
Title odds: +70000

The Kings are trying to end a 16-year playoff drought, and they’ve tasked Brown to do so. He’s got a great group of players here, although the defensive side of the ball might not be a strong suit for any of them. That’s what Brown will have to get out of them, as he is reportedly responsible for Golden State’s defensive excellence which led him to landing this job.

***Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the entire 2022-23 season. Joe Mazzulla is the interim head coach. Mazzulla has been on Boston’s staff for since 2019, so he isn’t being considering a new coach for the upcoming season even though he’ll have the interim tag.